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“Forza Michael, win this race too!”

Modena, 18 February – When one discusses the history of Ferrari, one has to think of Michael Schumacher, the driver who has won more races than any other for the Scuderia. It was obvious therefore that President Luca di Montezemolo, at the opening of the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, would want to send an encouraging message to Michael, as he tackles the most difficult challenge he has ever faced, in the hospital in Grenoble.

“Forza Michael, you have to give it your all and win this time, just as you have done so many times before,” said an emotional Montezemolo at the end of the screening of a film which looked back at the life of Enzo Ferrari, which was the highlight of the ceremony. “For us, Michael is the driver who has given us the most in terms of this company’s results. He was and still is a great friend, someone who in eleven years always gave his utmost for Ferrari.”

In meeting the journalists who attended the event, inevitably the talk turned to the coming Formula 1 season. “Ferrari is the only team in the world for whom coming second is described as a tragedy and everything that has been won and all the record breaking is forgotten. Of course, we want to win this year,” said Montezemolo. “It seems to me the first test threw up nothing negative and allows us to have high hopes in what will be a very difficult year because of the new turbo engine system and the new electronic technologies, when reliability in the first races will be essential,” he said, referring to the car that the team will use to tackle the upcoming championship.

The second pre-season test session gets underway tomorrow at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain. First to take to the track at the wheel of the F14 T will be Fernando Alonso, while Kimi Raikkonen takes over on Friday.

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